Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Preventive disaster management of extreme natural events

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Natural Hazards Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Several recent extreme natural events resulted in great humanitarian tragedies because of weak preventive disaster management. Here we analyze several factors (natural, economical, political, awareness, and preparedness) that brought about the humanitarian tragedies of the early 21st century. We discuss then the role of science in the preventive disaster management of extreme natural events.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Associated Press (2005) Katrina may cost as much as four years of war. Sept 10, 2005. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9281409/

  • Burdick E (1964) The 480, McGraw-Hill, New York

  • Berz G (2004) Natural disasters and climate change: concerns and possible counter-measures from the viewpoint of an international reinsurer, Report, Munich Reinsurance Co., Munich, 15 pp

  • Cummings RG et al (eds) (1986) Valuing environmental goods: an assessment of the contingent valuation method, Rowman & Allanheld, Totowa, NJ

  • Cutter S, Emrich C (2005) Are natural hazards and disaster losses in the U.S. increasing? EOS/Transactions of the Amer Geophys Un 86(41):381–396

  • Fischetti M (2001) Drowning New Orleans, Scientific American 10:78–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischetti M (2005) They saw it coming. The New York Times, September 2

  • Fuchs K (2005) The great earthquakes of Lisbon 1755 and Aceh 2004 shook the world—seismologists’ societal responsibility. In: Proc. 250th Anniversary of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake International Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 1–4 November

  • Hsu SS (2006) Katrina Report Spreads Blame, Washington Post, February 12, p A01

  • IUGG GeoRisk Commission (2005) Statement on the Greatest Earthquake and Tsunami of the Early XXI Century and the Need for Urgent Action to Reduce Natural Disasters in the Indian Ocean Region and Elsewhere. Boulder, Colorado: International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. (http://www.iugg-georisk.org/c_statement.html)

  • Keilis-Borok VI (2003) Basic science for prediction and reduction of geological disasters. In: Beer T, Ismail-Zadeh A (eds) Risk, science and sustainability. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp 29–38

  • Kundzewicz ZW, Takeuchi K (1999) Flood protection and management: quo vadimus? Hydrol Sci J 44(3):417–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munich Re (2004) Megacities––Megarisks: trends and challenges for insurance and risk management, Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft, Munich, 79 pp

  • Munich Re: (2005) Annual Review of Natural Catastrophes, Topics Geo, Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft, Munich, 56 pp

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2006) NOAA reviews recond––setting 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2540.htm

  • Tannehill R (1947) Drought: its causes and effects, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey

  • Trenberth KE (2005) Uncertainty in hurricanes and global warning. Science 308:1753–1754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNU (United Nations University) (2004) News Release, 13 June

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the IUGG GeoRisk Commissioners for intensive discussion on the topic of the paper. Special thanks go to T. Beer, K. Fuchs, V. Keilis-Borok, V. Kossobokov, B. Mueller, U. Shamir, and F. Wenzel. The paper is written during one of the authors’ (AI-Z) stay at the Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alik Ismail-Zadeh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ismail-Zadeh, A., Takeuchi, K. Preventive disaster management of extreme natural events. Nat Hazards 42, 459–467 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-9075-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-006-9075-0

Keywords

Navigation